1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to fishing rod holders. More particularly, it concerns fishing rod holders which are permanently installed on fishing boats that permit the rod to be moved to set the hook without need to remove the rod from the holder when a fish strikes the bait.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, sportfishing boats are equipped with permanently installed fishing rod holders that enable rods to be held in an angled or upright position while lines are trolled from them behind the boat. This relieves the fisherman from continually holding the rod while awaiting some action from the fish. Typically, such rod holders comprise a plate mounted on a gunnel or other portion of the boat from which a tube depends and the handle portion of the rod is inserted through a hole in the plate into the tube.
In such prior known rod holders, the dependent tube is fixed at a suitable angle relative to the mounting plate so the rod being held is angled toward the stern of the boat. Such rod holders do not permit the rod to be moved to set the hook in a fish that strikes the bait being trolled from the rod. Thus, with such rod holders, the fisherman must remove the rod from the holder to set the hook or play the fish. The loss of time caused by removal of the rod from the holder frequently results in failure to set the hook and loss of the fish.
Several types of modified rod holders have been devised to overcome the fixed position problem mentioned above, so-called striking rod holders. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,495,721 (Emory), 4,578,891 (Murray) and 4,614,323 (Bauer). The Murray holder requires a large opening for movement of the fishing rod and, accordingly, is undesirable for mounting in the gunnel of sportfishing boats. Likewise, the Emory and Bauer holders are unsuitable for gunnel mounting since they have protruding tube members that constitute a hazard to fisherman occupying the cockpit area of the fishing boat, particularly when boat is running in rough seas and not engaged in fishing.
Additional fishing rod holders that permit the rod to be moved without being removed from the holder are known, e.g., see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,548,328 and 3,126,180. However, the rod holders of these patents are not designed for gunnel or like mounting on sportfishing boats.
The present invention addresses the defects in prior known striking fishing rod holders and provides improved holders of such type.